11 March 2009

Analysis: Obama Adds Turkey to Upcoming European Tour

Visit reflects hope for renewed ties with key ally and diplomatic partner

Secretary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan in Ankara on March 7.

By David McKeeby
Staff Writer

Washington — By adding Turkey to the itinerary of his upcoming European tour, President Obama seeks to continue America’s outreach to the Muslim world as well as renew relations with a key ally and increasingly active diplomatic partner straddling Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.

“He’s coming as an ally, a partner and a friend,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a March 7 interview with Turkish television network Kanal D’s Mehmet Ali Birand in Turkey’s capital, Ankara. “We have so much in common, and the role that Turkey is playing as a regional and global leader on important issues is something that we’re very supportive of.”

Earlier in the day, Clinton announced Obama’s plans to visit Ankara and Istanbul April 6-7 during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. While Obama is not expected to use Ankara as the site of an address on Islam pledged during his presidential campaign, the visit will follow his first official interview as president with Saudi satellite channel al-Arabiya as part of his administration’s commitment to engage with the Muslim world during his first 100 days in office.   

“Turkey, as everyone knows, is a model democracy with a secular constitution that shows Islam can coexist with both,” Clinton said, recalling fondly the complex, vibrant and diverse nation she first discovered during the administration of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. “The fact that Turkey is a predominantly but not exclusively Muslim nation, that there are varying levels of society that are moving forward together, we find all of that very exciting.”

Close ties between Washington and Ankara date back to the 1947 implementation of the Truman Doctrine aimed at strengthening Turkish economic and military self-reliance — a goal promoted from the Cold War era to the present day through close bilateral diplomacy and as a partnership between two largest military forces in the 26-nation NATO alliance.

While Washington-Ankara diplomacy was strained by the Turkish parliament’s 2003 decision to block U.S.-led coalition forces from using their country as a launching pad into neighboring Iraq, the two governments launched the 2006 Shared Vision and Structured Dialogue, establishing a framework for increased strategic cooperation.

In consultations with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Abdullah Gül, Clinton worked to build on this strong government-to-government relationship. With Turkey a new member of the U.N. Security Council and a member of the G20 leading economies, analysts say its role in promoting global peace and security is likely to grow in the coming years. But Clinton acknowledged that a long road remains ahead in rebuilding relations with the Turkish public, where only 9 percent hold favorable views of the relationship, down from 52 percent in 2002, according to a recent survey.

Turkish forces from the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan on patrol in Kabul.

Turkey and the United States share a commitment to working for peace in the Middle East. In 2008, Turkey hosted talks between its southern neighbor, Syria, and Israel, and played a pivotal role in securing a cease-fire in Gaza earlier this year. Both moves complement parallel U.S. efforts to support Israeli-Palestinian talks and promote the longer-term goal of a broader Arab-Israeli peace, Clinton said.

“I applaud what Turkey did in creating the Syria-Israel track. That was an enormously helpful effort,” Clinton said. “We need Turkey’s leadership in helping the United States push for a comprehensive peace plan that includes a two-state solution.” (See “U.S. Envoys Meet with Syrian Officials.”)  

Turkey offered transit through its territory for U.S. military equipment following Obama’s February 27 announcement of a phased withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq. Meanwhile, another neighbor, Iran, has approached Turkey as a potential mediator for reopening ties with the United States, according to media reports.

Clinton also recognized Turkey as an essential partner in international efforts to stabilize Afghanistan — a top foreign policy priority for the Obama White House. Approximately 800 Turkish troops are serving in the NATO-led peacekeeping mission, while former Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Çetin served as the alliance’s top civilian official in Kabul from 2003 to 2006. As the Obama administration consults with allies to forge a new international strategy in Afghanistan, Turkey could continue to play a key role, Clinton said. (See “NATO Allies Share Vital Interest in Stabilizing Afghanistan.”)

The two nations also continue close counterterrorism cooperation against shared extremist threats, from Al-Qaida, which has launched several attacks against Turkey since 2001, to the extremist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Clinton says is considered a common enemy by the United States, Turkey and Iraq.

In Europe, Turkish-American cooperation can be seen in efforts to promote peace in the Balkans and South Caucasus, as well as joint efforts to strengthen the region’s energy security by delivering Caspian oil and gas to the world market. The United States continues to support the U.N.-brokered effort to reunify Cyprus as a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, Clinton said, as well as Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.

“I will tell President Obama he will find a warm welcome when he comes here to Turkey,” Clinton said. “He will find, as I have always found, not only a partner for the challenges and opportunities that we face together, but a friend for all times and all challenges that lie ahead.”

A transcript of Clinton and Babacan’s remarks is available from America.gov.

What actions do you think President Obama should take to promote global peace and security? Comment on America.gov’s blog.